The present invention relates to a high-density electrical connector and a manufacturing method to make the same.
As computer technology advances, high-density portable electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular. Connectors of such electronic devices generally have a large number of conductive contacts densely aligned in a dielectric housing thereof. Such high-density connectors must be designed to fulfill requirements of proper alignment, engagement and coplanarity of the contacts assembled in the housing. Contacts of conventional connectors are usually inserted into manufactured housings. However, achieving reliability of all the contacts assembled in the housing is difficult because the contacts often change shape during insertion. In addition, insertion of contacts into the housing may damage the housing because walls thereof are very thin for achieving a high-density arrangement of the contacts. Furthermore, the contacts of the conventional connector are soldered to a circuit board by means of either SMT or DIP, but arranging high-density printed circuit pads or drilling holes on the circuit board is complicated. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.